


Cheer Me Up

by unknowntolifeitself



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Blade of Marmora Keith (Voltron), Crushes, Cuddles, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Homesick Lance (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lance (Voltron) Angst, Langst, M/M, Mutual Pinning, Sad Lance (Voltron), Sleeping Together, Tears, bonding moment keith and lance, but they don't know cause they silly boys, klangst, pinning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2018-11-05
Packaged: 2019-04-29 17:17:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14477484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowntolifeitself/pseuds/unknowntolifeitself
Summary: Returning to the Castle means many things. Returning to the Castle with Krolia means a great deal of other things.





	1. The Ocean and his Sand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith returns, the boys talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrote this instead of sleeping... not sure if I want to continue this... we shall see

Keith finally returns to the castle, everyone is over the moon at his return especially Lance. The paladins barely have time to acknowledge his arrival when Lance sprints towards Keith. Crashing into him, Lance lifts the boy in his arms with a squeal as he buries his face in Keith’s shoulder. Putting the newly returned paladin down, Lance cracks a big old grin looking into the blue-gray eyes he missed so much. 

“Missed having my rival around,” Lance laughs giving his rival a light punch on the shoulder. Keith is a bit flustered from the unexpected welcoming, his fingers twitching towards his blade as he tries to keep his cool. He never thought that out of all the paladins Lance would be the one to greet him so lovingly. 

The other paladins have finally come to join them: Shiro places a firm welcoming grip on Keith's shoulder, Hunk sports a cheerful “Welcome back, buddy”, Pidge presents her fist for a long overdue fistbump, and Allura and Coran bow their heads to him. Keith missed his paladin family, he really did, but something told him that what he really missed was the grin-wearing-goof standing before him.

“Who’s that?” Pidge perks up, pushing her glasses up her nose as she inspects the figure standing behind Keith. Keith turns around, motioning to the figure to come forward.

“This is Krolia,” he explains, the Galra lady standing beside him. “My mother.”

The paladins are all stunned. This is Keith’s long-lost mother. No one knows what to say or do. Thankfully, Coran comes to the rescue. Shaking Krolia’s hand, he welcomes her to the castle the way only Coran can by offering her an extensive tour. 

“So, that’s your mom?” Lance finally asks after Coran, Allura and Krolia leave to tour the castle. 

“Yep.”

“As I can see, mullet runs in the family,” Pidge snickers earning a glare from Shiro.

“She seems nice,” Shiro notes. “Where did you find her?" 

Keith explains all the little details of his mission, the discovery of his mother, and the weird cryptic messages she was sending before he realized she was his mother. Normally, Lance would have laughed at his expense, saying that he should have realized it sooner considering their horrendous hairstyles, but he doesn’t. Lance stays silent, biting his lower lip, and burying his hands in his pockets, all while looking lost in his own world. 

* * *

 

Keith sits on the floor, his back against his bed sharpening his blades. At every mission, he’d steal one to add to his growing collection making each knife a memento to his survival. Unwrapping his mother’s blade from its cloth, he traces it with the tip of his fingers, a frown etching itself on his tired face.

It’s been a few days, Krolia seems to enjoy training with Keith but other than that Keith feels lost when interacting with her. Sure, he knows how to slice a fair amount of robots open, but he always feels like he’s disappointing her. The way she scowls everytime he gets hit or how she continuously pushes him to train harder. What if he isn’t the son she wanted? Maybe that’s why she left him in the first place. He was a disappointment then and he still is now. 

Thankfully, a knock interrupts his depressive thoughts. Sighing, he stands up opening the door to a hooded Lance. His hood covers his messy hair, his shaky hands are shoved into his pockets and his ever-glowing eyes are dead. Keith has never seen his rival this way and the throbbing in his chest tells him he wishes he never had. 

"Lance what are -”

“You, my friend, seem down,” Lance explains, slithering his way into the room. “And I, loverboy Lance, am here to cheer you up.” No matter how cocky he sounds or how hard he smirks, it never reaches his eyes. 

“I don’t need cheering up,” Keith grunts, going back to his spot within his blade collection. Rocking on his feet, Lance inspects the bland room he’d been sneaking into every now and then during the past months. There were many quiet lonely nights spent hiding under the covers pretending that he wasn’t entirely alone. He had missed Keith, whether he admitted it to himself or not. He had missed how the older boy tied his mullet up, biceps exploding in his jacket, hands roughly passing through his dark hair. How his shoulders straightened when he held a weapon. How his eyes twinkled when Lance found out about his hippopotamus love.  He had missed everything about Keith.

With a huff, Lance finally plops himself down next to Keith. “I don’t know, man… Look at you,” he says, poking Keith’s cheek. “You’re all frowny and mopey… Looks to me like you need some major cheering up…” Lance mumbles the last part, hiding his face with his knees. 

Turning towards the younger boy, Keith catches a glimpse of blue before they disappear into a wall of knee. It hurts seeing him like this, so closed off, so far… so like Keith.

“Don’t tell Shiro…” Lance perks up to that, blues coming out of their hiding, piercing through Keith. “Okay?”

“Promise.” Jutting out his long pinky, Lance’s eyes soften, and in turn melting Keith’s heart. Keith wraps his own pale finger around Lance’s, their skin colours clashing like waves on sand. 

“So…” Keith starts, not letting go of Lance’s soft pinky. “I- Krolia is a mystery. I know nothing about her. And I- It’s confusing.”

“Confusing?” Lance leans his head on his knees, his soft cheek getting squished in the process. His eyes are not focused on Keith but on their hands slowly meshing together. The leather gloves wrapped around Keith’s hand is rough on Lance’s tan skin.

“Yea,” Keith sighs, copying Lance by cradling his knees with his free hand. “I don’t know what she’s thinking, you know?” Lance hums in answer, fingers trailing Keith’s palm. “What if she doesn’t like me? What if she thinks I’m a complete failure? I-I don’t-”

“Woah, slow your roll, kitten,” Lance cuts Keith’s worries off. “You’re strong, courageous, and amazing. You are not a failure.” Lance emphasizes the ‘not’ by gently squeezing Keith’s hand. Keith can’t help the slight blush that brushes onto his cheeks and the shy grin that sprouts onto his lips, nor the tightness in his chest when Lance calls him 'kitten’.

“Thanks… I’m glad you’re here,” Keith admits, tightening his grip on Lance. It’s Lance’s turn to feel the blood rush to his face as he stares into the eyes he’s longed for so long. 

“I missed you.” Lance surprises himself when he blurts it out. From the red of Keith’s face, he guesses Keith is surprised as well. “Um- I- I’m sor-”

“Me too.”

“What?” Lance sits up, eyes wide, hand still clasped in Keith’s.

“I missed you too,” Keith restates, shuffling to the side until their bodies touch. “A lot, actually.” They look into each other’s eyes, both lost in the other’s gaze, their cheeks warming up by the second. With a quick glance to Lance’s soft lips, Keith flops his head onto the soft boy’s shoulder. “Your turn.”

“My turn?” Lance questions, delicately laying his head on top of the older boy’s.

“Yea, what’s bothering you?" 

"You making me flustered,” Lance thinks as he looks at their connected hands. 

“I don’t know,” he starts quietly. “I miss home, I guess. Seeing Krolia, seeing you with your mom, it kind of hit me in the gut. I know it’s selfish… but-” Lance sighs, and Keith gives him an encouraging squeeze. “I wish it was my mami and not yours. Don’t get me wrong, I’m so happy for you, you deserve to be happy. But when I see her and you together I just- I want” His sobs cut him off.

Letting go of his hand for the first time, Keith grabs Lance in his arms. The younger boy is gasping through his tears as sobs run down his spine. Keith’s whole body aches at the sight of Lance like this, but all he can do is squeeze him as tight as he can.

“It’s okay,” Keith whispers into Lance’s soft hair. “I’m here." 

Lance misses his mother, immensely. There isn’t a single part of his being that does not ache to be in her comforting hold. He misses her smell: a mix of spices, ocean spray and love. He misses her voice, he can barely remember the sweet melody it made when she sang him those lullabies. Most importantly, he just misses being home with his family. He’d do anything to go back. 

Sitting on the floor, cradled in each other’s arms, the two boys yearn for the love of their mothers. Eventually moving to the bed, where limbs will tangle and whispers of praise will be shared. They will hold and support each other throughout the night, with the silent hope that this won’t be a bonding moment forgotten. 


	2. The Ocean and his Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They shall wake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, guess there was indeed a second part... might (most probably) continue this...  
> Short and sweet just like Keith ;P

He is gorgeous. Lance, the boy laying in his arms, is ridiculously beautiful. Covering the top of his cheeks, like tiny stars in the night sky, freckles, that Keith had never seen before, hide within his tan skin. The pout in his lower lip, the twitch in his left cheek as he takes slow warm breaths, and the drool drying on his chin all make him absolutely breathtaking. As Keith watches the sleeping boy in his arms, he cannot deny the fact that his heart is most probably going to explode. He’s never felt so warm, so free, so full of life, so… so loved. Keith feels loved, and yet no words of love have been spoken. Just this warm closeness to make him feel the thing he truly desires.

Slowly trailing his gloveless hand up to Lances face, Keith can’t help holding his breath, scared to wake the boy up. The softness of his cheek under his fingers, the crisp brush of his brown hair, and the burning sensation in Keith’s chest come together to create a very flustered Keith when a pair of ocean eyes suddenly crack open.

Lance would have never in a million years guessed he would awake to this most wonderful sight. Stormy sky eyes piercing through him as the older boy turns a ridiculously dark shade of red. That is what Lance sees as he wakes from a well-rested sleep.

“Keith…” His voice is still atrociously groggy from sleep, making it crack as he mumbles the single name. He stretches out his spine, his face contorting at every muscle movement as he twists in his spot before settling back down, closer to the reddening boy. “Morning.”

“Good morning,” Keith’s voice betrays him, squeaking in absurd places as if he too had just woken up. “Sleep well?”

“Mhm.” Lance just wants to sink deeper into the warmth Keith gives him. He wants to stay here, cuddled, close enough to feel the warm breaths against his skin and the soft prickle of Keith’s mullet, for the rest of his days. But alas, the strain in his chest makes him rethink his decision.

Keith surely does not feel the same way. Keith is not the one who sneaked into the others room countless of times to just get a sense of the other. Keith is not the boy who watches the other with so much love and adoration it hurts. Keith is not the child who invented a rivalry to hide the fact that he was madly, sickeningly, crushing on the other. Keith is not Lance.

“We should get going,” the Cuban boy mumbles, hurriedly getting up… away from Keith. “Wouldn’t want the others to find us.”

“Yea…” Keith is stunned. He doesn’t know what to say or think as he watches his friend walk out the door. Perhaps, Keith had miscalculated the actions from the night before. Maybe, Keith had misunderstood the words that had been shared. There was a chance, that Lance, the boy he had so lovingly bonded with, didn’t see him the way he did.

Lance never remembered the bonding moment and most probably wishes he could never remember this one. Lance never thought of Keith as more than his rival, or more than a friend for that matter. Lance never falls asleep with the image of Keith holding his hand, his voice groggy and enchanting as he whispers the words that forever run through his sleepless mind: _We are a good team._ Lance never turned away from Keith with the fear of never seeing his gorgeous smile tearing his insides. Lance does not feel the same way Keith does and that’s probably what scares Keith the most.

Both sitting on their respective beds, the boys think of the other. They quiver at the thought that maybe, just maybe their bond could be deeper than they believe. They silently sob as their minds waver to dark thoughts of unrequited love. Most importantly, the two boys think of the eyes that set their hearts racing.


	3. The Ocean and his Pink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some words are spoken, some are not heard... but some are.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well then, here we are... another very short chapter! But do not fret, stuff happens!

     Keith lays on the cold ground of the training room, sweat dripping down his neck into the thick strands of his ponytail. The air burns around him, prickling his lungs as he watches the ceiling spin to a halt. He had absolutely wrecked his training, if she had been there, Krolia would have certainly scolded him for his slow reactions and clumsy footwork. She would've probably seen through him, seen his mind wandering off to twinkling blues as he failed to fight off the bots, and she would've told him that he was acting immature and irresponsible. He was, he truly was, Keith thought, still not getting up from the dirty floor. He had let personal affairs cloud his judgment, something that could've clearly ruined a mission. It had been childish and amazingly idiotic. Keith is supposed to be better than that; he should be able to distance himself from the small freckles dusting the other's skin. His hands shouldn't feel the warmth, radiating from the tanned boy, in his hand as he dodges the bots attacking him. Keith should be able to forget Lance, for the sake of the mission.

     He can't. As much as Keith wants to, he simply can not forget the flutter of Lances lashes when he awoke in his arms. He just... can't. It makes him want to scream, to yank at Lance's soft hair, to shove him against a wall, and beg him to come back to his room tonight. Beg him to not forget this moment, not like the one before. But he won't, he never would. Keith knows far too well where he stands with Lance: they're only rivals.

* * *

 

     Lance paces the halls, mind processing every word, every touch, and every fleeting glance he's ever shared with Keith. They are all so awkward, absurd, embarrassing, and so ridiculously perfect. Why had he done half of these? Why had he let himself sink into the disaster of love and hate? Why had he created a rivalry that was doomed from the start? Why,  _why?_

     Sinking down against the wall of the hallway with an exasperated groan, Lance rubs at his eyes, maybe he can rub out the pink he’s been seeing around Keith. Maybe. To be fair, he wasn’t aware he was seeing pink until he croaked awake encircled by a pair of strong warm arms. He didn’t know his heart could race this fast until he was running back to his room. Nor did he know that he wanted Keith as his future.

     “Agh!” Lance yelps to himself, hanging his head between his legs. “Lance, stop this. You’re being ridiculous. Keith will _never_ like you back.” He continues trying to talk himself down, voice hushed and dripping in venom. He thinks no one can hear him, thinks he’s alone in the halls, that his racing heart is hidden from the rest of the castle. It is not.

* * *

 

     Standing on the other side of the hall, back against the cold metal wall, brows furrowed and uncertain, Krolia hears the Red Paladin speak of her son. She can hear the lovesick desperation in his voice and can feel the clenching of her own heart as she hears her lover's voice echoed back to her.

     “Lance…” she tries the name. Lips turning into a small smile as flashes of her dark-haired son sitting cross-legged and serious as he spoke tenderly of a blue-eyed boy. She had felt it back in the Quantum Abyss, felt it at Keith's return to the castle, and feels it now as she hears the boy profess his love to the emptiness.

    Spinning on her heels, she leaves the Paladin on his own, deciding to no longer intrude in his realization. When she's far gone and out of ear-shot,  a small breathy chuckle escapes her lips, spreading a delicate smile to her face. Seems like falling for kind smiles and generous laughs is a family trait...


End file.
